Mama got a brand new tattoo. TY Draya Penzo! Elephants are such a wonderful exuberance of strength, peace, great fortune and nurturing. My Mom had a bunch of elephant statues on our wall unit while growing up - shout out to The Franklin Mint collection back in the 90s. Mandalas are great for those seeking wholeness, balance and for some, to shift their pain and trauma to joy. And of course, the glory of the lotus flower is all about growth and evolution. Aside from how visually bad ass this would be, I wanted it to represent my ability to survive the noise that comes with my career and all of the things I've been told I couldn't do but exceeded. I reached out to Draya while in Chicago - super last minute - with the hopes that she was there but managed to book an appointment here in NYC. I gave her a few visuals and she knocked it out the park from there. This came out way BEYOND my wildest dreams. I am in complete shock. From start to finish, I was floored. And can I day this woman is everything y'all - inside and out. Super chill. Super mellow. We laughed and talked for hours. And considering this took some hours because of the detail, I legit could've sat there to do a full sleeve and been okay. Thank you so much being the epitome of an artist. Our conversation reminded me of why I call myself an artist before an athlete. When I didn't know my path, my art led the way through my healing. What y'all think? Let me know! #runningfatchef #fatrunner #tattoo #elephant #lotustattoo #mandala #mandalatattoo #blacktattooartist #blackcreatives #femaletattooartist #BlackGirlJoy #blackgirlmagic